Parlor Ice Cream might be one of Fork’s most Instagram-friendly members, but that definitely doesn’t mean that the cones are too pretty to eat! Parlor’s crazy flavors, like Miso Sweet Corn and Strawberry Matcha, are too delicious to resist. Jacqueline Dole, Parlor’s owner and founder, is a recently relocated Bostonite who finally saw the light and moved north to Portland. She’s been making waves in the foodie community here, scooping at local favorite business like Tandem Coffee and Little Giant. She also does pop-ups, custom wholesale orders, and caters all over New England. We’re so excited to have her at Fork and we urge you to try out her unique flavors and treats as soon as you can.

What was your first job?I worked at CVS! I was 16 years old.

How did you get involved with food work?I moved to the White Mountains for a summer, and the only job that was hiring was Ben & Jerry’s. I started as a manager, but one day our cake decorator quit, so I had to jump in and I made some pretty ugly cakes. I actually loved it, and ended up applying to culinary school!

What made you decide to start Parlor Ice Cream Company?I figured out that I didn’t want to work in restaurants anymore - I hated the schedule and how employees were treated - so I decided I should try something on my own. So I decided to work at a few places that had good ice cream programs, and I ended up being a production manager for an ice cream shop. People kept requesting the flavors that I made! I realized there were no custom ice cream options in Boston so I thought custom wholesale collaborations would be a cool niche. That was in February of 2016.

What motivates you to continue and grow your business?I love making ice cream more than anything in the world. It’s also definitely been amazing to get to meet so many small business owners.

Who are some food entrepreneurs that you admire?Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s. She’s really cool because she’s a scrappy badass who’s been doing this for years now and she’s gone from having one store to having stores across the country. She’s overcome challenges and is still growing her business every day.